Rehearsals underway for ‘Synchronised’, Dulwich’s biggest intergenerational dance project to date

Yesterday saw the first rehearsal of Synchronised, a project with Dulwich Picture Gallery combining forces once again with Rambert Dance Company. Facilitating weekly rehearsals with two local community groups, Blackfriars Settlement and The Salmon Youth Centre in Bermondsey, Rambert will teach participants to perform a piece from their stellar repertoire while taking inspiration from the Gallery’s world-famous Collection.

The culmination of ‘Synchronised’ will be a beautifully-crafted, intergenerational final performance at Asylum, Caroline Garden’s Chapel, in Peckham on Monday 10 June 2013. The show will be followed by a documentary film screening of the project at the Gallery in July 2013.

Over the next 8 weeks, a group of 7 – 18 year-olds from the Salmon Youth Centre and older adults from Blackfriars Settlement will work with animateurs from Rambert Dance Company to rehearse the repertoire, ‘Hush,’ a light-hearted and affectionate celebratory dance of family life choreographed by Christopher Bruce (Winner of Best Modern Choreography, Critics’ Circle Dance Award in 2009). Each group will rehearse separately and will be reunited for their final rehearsals bringing their respective dances together for their performance at the chapel.

’Synchronised’ was launched at the Gallery earlier this month; older and younger participants came together for the first time to enjoy a taster workshop with music from the ‘Hush’ repertoire.   Collectively they explored the Gallery, finding links to the themes of family and childhood in ‘Hush’ in both the Gallery’s permanent collection and temporary Murillo exhibition.

The theme of family life also extends to the space where the final performance will be showcased. The chapel in Caroline Gardens sits in London’s largest complex of almshouses once known as the Licensed Victuallers’ Asylum. In contrast to contemporary connotations, this site was not a place where former pub landlords were hidden away; instead ‘Asylum’ is used in the older sense, meaning “sanctuary”. This tranquil square was a haven for the staff and families who, after a long and loyal service to the brewing industry, could happily live out their days and the ‘Synchronised’ participants will draw upon images from these residents ‘at play’ in their rehearsals.

Asylum is also the perfect venue for this dance partnership to reside having been built only 13 years after the Gallery. These sites share much of the same local history: Both were bombed during the blitz, but the Chapel, unlike the Gallery, has never been restored. Miraculously, the original stained glass windows survived the hit and this, together with the plaques along the walls, creates an atmosphere of a reminiscent bygone gallery which the performance will bring to life once more.

This is the third project that has seen Dulwich Picture Gallery and Rambert Dance Company collaborate and the first time that there has been a cross-generational element.

Throughout the project, acapmedia will be recording documentary footage highlighting the strengths and achievements of the partnership between Rambert and Dulwich Picture Gallery. The final documentary short films will record how the participants feel as they go on a journey of discovery across art forms, meeting people who may be of a different generation, but who share the same passion for dance and self-expression.

Michelle Weiner, Community Programmes Manager at Dulwich Picture Gallery, said: “We are delighted to be working again with Rambert and their expertise to inspire visitors to use the Collection in new and exciting ways. This is also a wonderful opportunity to showcase the role culture and heritage organisations can play in creating intergenerational projects that bring together community groups that may not mix otherwise.”

Rosie Whitney-Fish, Project Manager at Rambert Dance Company, said: “Rambert are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Dulwich Picture Gallery.  The project will see both partners reaching young people and older adults, through a series of workshops, gallery visits and performance.  This is a really exciting collaboration between both organisations.”

Dorcas Olatunji, Performing Arts Teacher from The Salmon Youth Centre, said: “We are very excited to be working on this intergenerational project with Dulwich Picture Gallery and Rambert Dance Company. It is a rare opportunity to be able to work with such a well-known and talented dance company, in collaboration with a prestigious gallery with so much history. We are looking forward to learning and improving our contemporary dance skills, and hopefully the young people will be able to teach our Rambert dance teachers a thing or two also! It’s going to be intensive and maybe a bit of a challenge but we say ‘bring it on’!”

Tina Johnston, Coordinator for older people’s services at Blackfriars Settlement said: “We always encourage intergenerational work and we are extremely grateful to Dulwich Picture Gallery for giving us the opportunity for our older members to take part in the ‘Synchronised’ project with Rambert.”

Aaron Paterson, acapmedia, said: “acapmedia is really excited to be working on ‘Synchronised’ with Dulwich Picture Gallery. With such a diverse range of participants involved, who are really enthused by the gallery, we’re looking forward to sharing their dynamic journey as they begin interpreting the rich artwork with their Rambert animateurs.”

-Ends

Notes to Editors